What's happening
This bill requires court records of tenant evictions due to property foreclosure to be sealed and kept confidential, with penalties for unauthorized disclosure.
Why it matters
Protects tenants from long-term harm to their rental history and credit. by ensuring that eviction records resulting from foreclosure are not publicly accessible, reducing barriers to securing future housing.
Targets cases where tenants are evicted through no fault of their own. such as when a landlord loses a property to foreclosure—recognizing that these renters should not face the same stigma as those evicted for lease violations.
Creates enforceable privacy rights. for affected tenants, with civil penalties of $1,000 to $2,000 for unauthorized disclosure, providing a deterrent against misuse of sensitive information.
May help address broader housing instability. by reducing the negative downstream effects of foreclosure-related evictions on individuals and families, supporting community stability.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Seal Eviction Records After Foreclosure
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to judiciary
- Print number 5206a
- Amend and recommit to judiciary
- Referred to judiciary
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Seal Foreclosure Eviction Records
In Senate Committee · Housing, Construction And Community Development · Sponsor Kevin S. Parker
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5206--A
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 7, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. WALKER, D'URSO, BLAKE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Judiciary -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the real property actions and proceedings law, in relation to sealing the court records of evictions of tenants leasing real property that is the subject of a foreclosure
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The real property actions and proceedings law is amended by adding a new section 757 to read as follows:
§ 757. Eviction as the result of foreclosure. In the event that a lessee is removed from real property pursuant to this article, and the leased real property was the subject of a foreclosure proceeding pursuant to this chapter or the subject of a tax foreclosure proceeding, the court records relating to any such lessee shall be sealed and be deemed confidential. No disclosure or use of such information relating to any such lessee shall be authorized, and the use of such information shall be prohibited. Any violation of this section by a private person shall result in a civil penalty of not less than one thousand dollars, nor more than two thousand dollars.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05954-03-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.